


kiss me tender, kiss me sweet, never let me go

by kickassfu



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst, Fluff, M/M, POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), POV Merlin (Merlin), mostly introspective, statue come to life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25213015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickassfu/pseuds/kickassfu
Summary: His own traitorous eyes, fall to look at the man’s lips, now seeming way more inviting than before and truth be told he’d much prefer to kiss him when he's warm. Feel the softness of his lips, his skin. And it is definitely not the right time for this at all - but his brain is as unruly as his magic at times, and he can't stop it.At least he wasn’t a naked statue, or else things would be even more awkward. Although...
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 88





	kiss me tender, kiss me sweet, never let me go

**Author's Note:**

> once again my friend sent me this dope prompt for merlin: [kisses a marble statue but then they unexpectedly come to life and now i have to help them escape the museum they were stuck in]
> 
> And I tried my best! It turned out a little weird I think...but I hope y’all enjoy it ^^

_Everything is dark; has been dark for hours._ Days? Years? _He doesn’t know. Maybe that’s what death is, dark and cold; being stuck alone for eternity without being able to move or speak or see. Maybe he’s in hell-_

where the fuck is he?

_It’s been so long since he’s been able to feel anything, he’s starting to forget he was ever someone._ What’s his name again? _He feels like he was someone important, someone good, someone-_

_He doesn’t remember._

_Nothing hurts in this infinite void, but maybe the not hurting is what hurts the most; he’s losing himself and doesn’t even grasp it._

_Something touches his lips (how is he able to feel that?) and there’s an explosion of too much feeling and light and sound._

_He falls, and falls and falls, back into place._

_He’s-_

* * *

Merlin doesn’t often do stupid things, without first thinking them through first (his mother, his friends, everyone really, would disagree with him on that, but he knows the truth in his heart - _probably_ ). So, when he comes upon a beautiful marble statue of a strange, bewitching man, holding a sword, and feels it beckoning him, he walks closer out of curiosity.

All in all it’s a very strange day. His magic has been pushing and pulling since the moment he woke up, trying to get him somewhere, to do something - lord knows what, his magic does what it pleases when it pleases. It’s why he’s roaming this museum, alone, just walking and walking till he finally reaches his destination.

Which apparently is this statue.

_Hm._

The plaque reads “Kiss the Enchanted Prince Awake” and not much else, and _that_ is just a strange name for a statue, for anything really, and the laughter is ripped out of him before he can stop it. What a ridiculous situation.

As if this is Princess and the Frog mixed with the Pygmalion myth.

As if there’s an actual prince turned statue that needs to be kissed awake.

As if Merlin’s magic felt like today is the day Merlin needs to kiss a bloody statue.

He wants to walk away, forget this day ever happened and go on his merry way, but-

_what if it’s real?_

Magic certainly does exist, he’s proof of that.

So…

Can Merlin just walk away without trying it? Even if it’s the craziest, weirdest thing he’s ever done? It’s stupid, he’s sure of that. He’s going to kiss a statue and nothing is going to happen, and he’ll feel awkward, but Merlin won’t be able to rest if he doesn’t at least try.

_Fucking shite magic, with its fucked up rules and fucking idiotic curses._

Taking a deep breath, Merlin uses his magic to stop the museum cameras from filming this (because how weird would that look if someone saw it?), and to keep people away from this little corner.

“Sorry mate.” he whispers, feeling bad for kissing (a possible) someone without asking first. Closing the space between them, he shakes his head wondering when his life has become so messy (since before he was even born if he’s being honest), and his lips touch cold marble. He gives it a second before pulling away, just in case - he’s not doing this again, ever.

_Nothing happens_.

Obviously; why would it?

Sighing, he starts turning away to go home, so he can chastise himself in the comfort of his own room for letting his head run wild, until he hears a gasp. Turning back around he-

_well-_

he sees the statue come to life. Words that he’d never think would come true. It’s a strange sight; seeing the marble slip away into pink, healthy skin. Stone turned to wonderfully soft, blond hair. A still chest, starting to beat hard, heart pumping blood like it hasn’t in- ages?

Blue eyes. Alive. Looking at Merlin. Suspicious, grateful, scared, ecstatic - Merlin’s a bit scared the man will just fall apart right then and there, or disappear, or turn back into marble (and maybe the Prince is feeling just the same, afraid, _terrified_ ).

His own traitorous eyes, fall to look at the man’s lips, now seeming way more inviting than before and truth be told he’d much prefer to kiss him when he's warm. Feel the softness of his lips, his skin. And it is _definitely_ not the right time for this at all - but his brain is as unruly as his magic at times, and he can't stop it.

_At least he wasn’t a naked statue, or else things would be even more awkward. Although..._

* * *

He can move. Breathe. Feel the warmth of his own body, doing its best to _live_. Arthur feels like crying, from the sheer relief of it all, from the multitude of emotions and feelings and everything. It’s all too much, not enough, he needs something _more_.

Oh.

_Arthur._

His name is Arthur. Of course his name is Arthur, how could he ever forget it? Lose himself to the darkness so wholly. But he’s back, he’s here, thank the Gods. Why? _Who_ -

Finally looking in front of him (well, more like finally his brain connecting to his eyes once again), he sees a man stare at him in awe. There’s something familiar about him, like Arthur’s known him a million lives before. A home he’s never once set his feet in before, but a home nonetheless - warm, cozy, _his_. It’s all very strange, suspicious and- what if it’s all a dream? What if he’ll go back to that horrible, horrible place? He couldn’t bear it.

“Who are you?” he asks instead, before he loses the rest of his sanity, if he still has any of it left.

“ _Merlin_ , your saviour apparently. You’re welcome by the way,” Merlin says probably not expecting Arthur to thank him for the trouble (he probably would...eventually - maybe) “and who did you piss off to get such a nasty curse put on you, mate?”

Things are still blurry, so far away from reach that he can’t get them into focus, so he can’t quite remember what happened, or when it happened or how long-

“How did you save me exactly?” his brain is finally warming up apparently, long enough to wonder about things, ask questions. It’s kind of brilliant. But Merlin’s cheeks blush a pretty pink, and he looks away, swallowing dry - _and what in the world has Merlin done to bring out that reaction?_ Almost guilty, definitely embarrassed.

Noticing Merlin’s eyes dart to a plaque next to Arthur instead of actually answering, he glances at it. Remembering how he felt something touch his lips, and reading the words “Kiss the Enchanted Prince Awake” is a jolt to his senses.

“Did you kiss me?” he almost yells. Apparently it is loud enough to scare Merlin or spook him; he looks as if in thought as he scans their surroundings, and then seeming as he’s decided something, takes his hand (the one without the sword) and pulls Arthur with him as they practically run away.

“Yes, sorry. It all felt a little silly, and weird, and- well, it doesn’t really matter does it? It worked. You’re here! Which ultimately is probably way weirder, so I’m still trying to- to figure things out. But we can’t exactly stay in the museum, now can we? A statue come to life is preposterous. I still feel bad for having kissed you without your consent, but you need to understand, I don’t go around kissing inanimate objects, I swear. It’s just-”

“ _Mer_ lin, shut up.” Arthur interrupts Merlin’s outburst, his head swimming with useless (and not as useless) information. And even though he does enjoy the sound of Merlin’s voice, and the warmth of his hand (that’s what was missing earlier, contact with someone else’s skin, with Merlin’s skin), it’s too much to deal with right now - he won’t shake off Merlin’s hand though, not yet at least.

“You shut up.” Merlin says without any heat, sounding tired and confused, but never letting go of him. Tightening up his grip on his hand even, in a comforting manner.

After seeing how everything around them is so utterly _different_ from what’s he’s used to, Arthur takes a deep breath and ignores it. Forces himself to only look at Merlin, nothing but Merlin, which isn’t too hard, there’s _something_ about him that just-

he doesn’t know-

he doesn’t care-

he just can’t look away from Merlin; it works in his favour, seeing as he doesn’t want to look anywhere else for fear his mind will implode on itself.

For once, Arthur follows someone else’s lead. It feels freeing. To trust someone else so openly, so fully. For once, Arthur feels centered.

And he might not be ready to remember what happened so long ago, to know how much time has passed, but he will be eventually. And for now he feels at peace in Merlin’s hands - what will come will come.

* * *

Arthur is a menace. A cute, adorable, pratty, annoying, out of time, out of touch, menace. With only one fond look, something he’s taken to do lately, he renders Merlin useless. The small touches melt him from the inside out; Arthur seems to always brush his hands on some part of Merlin’s body as he walks by or sits glued to him or clings to him in a not obvious way, however he can.

Merlin thinks if he suffered through what Arthur suffered, alone for centuries in that lonely void, he’d probably attach himself to someone and never let go - Arthur is far stronger than he’ll ever be.

They sleep together.

Because there’s only one bed.

Because Merlin couldn’t let Arthur to fall asleep into the dark alone, nor to wake up alone.

Because Merlin might be falling in lo-

He couldn’t do that to him, so they sleep together, and Merlin yearns. He yearns for the soft lips he’s only kissed once, when they were cold marble. It’s torture. But torture he’d sign up for every single time.

Arthur’s memories come to him slowly. “ _My sister_.” he says once, but doesn’t explain, his voice pure anguish and sadness. Merlin doesn’t push him; he hopes his presence is comforting to Arthur at the very least. The past is in the past after all, if Arthur would rather focus on the future, Merlin’s more than okay with that.

* * *

Arthur kisses Merlin one night, as they look into each other’s eyes in bed because they can never bring themselves to look away. Arthur kisses him or Merlin kisses him, or they kiss each other. Over and over again, to assert they’re there, together, alive. That the moment belongs to them. In the quiet, only broken by their mingling breaths and gasps of _more_.

Everything is still messy in his head, there’s a lot to figure out, to understand and... _he has time_. So much time, with Merlin right beside him. It’s not perfect, but it’s good, _they’re good_. They work together, truly.

Now, feeling Merlin’s magic thrum against his skin (he feels alive, like he never felt before, not even back when he was Prince) - practically vibrating with need for him, for Arthur, he knows he’s in the right place, with the right person. _The only person._

Arthur whispers his confessions into Merlin’s lips, and breathes his fears against his skin in a fevered need for closeness, undeniable honesty; he gives himself completely to Merlin, and Merlin gives himself right back.

_I love you_ , they say, and repeat, and say again, until it drowns out everything else.

From Prince, to Statue, to just human. _Happy._ And that’s enough.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm also kickassfu on tumblr~~


End file.
